Australia has received its first shipment of Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines from a major swap deal with the UK, with a flight carrying more than 150,000 doses touching down in Sydney.
Photo: AFP
Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison last week announced the deal would add 4 million Pfizer doses to Australia's supplies, doubling the nation's Pfizer supply this month.
The first flight from London was carrying 160,970 doses while the second, carrying 295,500 doses, was due to arrive later this evening.
It came as the national medical regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), approved an additional half a million doses of the Pfizer vaccine from Singapore, after they arrived last week under a separate vaccine swap deal.
The government has agreed to return the same number of doses at a later date.
Vaccines arrive as rollout expands
The additional supplies have arrived as Australia moves to expand its vaccine rollout, with 12- to 15-year-olds able to get the Pfizer shot from next week.
Deputy chief medical officer Sonya Bennett said the extra vaccines had bolstered the rollout.
"The additional supply is really reassuring," she said
"We just would like to encourage all Australians to book in and get their first dose as soon as possible," Bennett said.
Sydneysiders queue outside a vaccination centre shortly after they were ordered into a lockdown that has now lasted around 10 weeks. Photo: AFP
The government has been repeatedly criticised for not securing more vaccines sooner, with supply issues and changing advice hindering the rollout initially.
But speaking in Sydney, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the doses from the UK would close a supply gap this month and help states boost vaccination rates.
"I was very pleased when the prime minister announced extra doses, of which New South Wales will get their share, because there was going to be a gap in supply in September and now, to some extent, that has been closed, which is positive, so we now look forward to people coming forward and getting vaccinated," she said.
"Come October, supply won't be an issue, so it is really about how we manage the vaccination strategy for the next four weeks."
The doses from the UK will now be batch tested by the TGA before being released.
- ABC